Tag Archives: Ca’armine

In Game 09072025: Ca’armine’s dream

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That night after the ritual, feeling deeply connected to Raiden, Ca’armine sleeps well and slips into dreams. 

You find yourself standing in the plains, stretching beyond sight in every direction, at night with the stars bright above. A warm wind from the east carries murmurs…”soon the false god shall ride again, clothed in shadow, born into this world on the blood of innocents. Time is running out. The sands in the hourglass are nearly spent and the gate of skulls will soon have a new lord. My time is nearly spent. If the shadow returns, the night will never end.”

Shadows grow and blots out the light of the stars. You awake, heart pounding.

Ca’armine seeks Gustav’s Vow

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Ca’armine, moving through the group as we walk along, pulls Gustav aside for a word.

“My friend, we have a problem.  I need your help to solve it—though we may both perish in the attempt.

Rask has a cursed sword, and his increasing disquiet—even with the sword out of reach—tells me he may be hosting an evil soul.  Perhaps Zrithak is joined with him.

I am asking him to give me his swords, to fight with batons only for now, but this is a stop-gap.  If the evil inside him concludes he must move against the party—and Red heard him say as much in his sleep!—there will be serious trouble, mainly for me as the keeper of the Black Blade.

Please keep close to me and be ready to defend me if he tries to take the sword from me?

In my prayers it has become clear to me that the sword, and perhaps the evil soul, are avid to destroy us all.  If Rask is under the thrall of these evils, he is the most dangerous foe we have faced together, and we will need to be resolute.

In Raiden’s name I charge you—NONE OF US may wield the black blade even one more time, and he that attempts it, must be stopped, even if his death is the only way.  Will you accept this charge?”

Raiden our Protector

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Ca’armine catches up with Rask as they walk along. “Alexis told me that he was asking you about the Protector aspect of our great god Raiden, and I came up with a song for you.  It is short, I’m not the bard, but maybe Alexis can spank it up for us a bit?”

Ra-a-aiden, brother, protector! 

Shield us from the foe!

We stand behind you, weak and vulnerable

Save us from the Blow!

Raised by Anashar,

blessed with glory

Resolute and Strong

Wield thy sword to help the lowly

As we make our way along!

Soul Pusher

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The group has started moving away from the tower of Ilceros’ spymaster. They have already crossed the bridge, but the traveling has barely started. The group is going slowly due to the slow speed of the wagon, especially over the broken ground.

Alexis falls into step beside Ca’armine, tone easy but deliberate.

“Priest,” he says with a half-smile. “That move you pulled with Zrithak—what was that? Looked like you and Rask had it rehearsed. The way the soul flowed from the body to the blade… clean, seamless. Almost too smooth to be an accident.”

Who Are The Allies of The Wilderness God?

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While the group travels across the Westlands away from the First Gate, Alexis addresses Gustav across the campfire one night.

“Gus, level with me.

Last time I asked why you’ll take favors from non-human gods but turn your back on the Grand-Matron of humanity. You sidestepped it, pressed the VahnYir bracers into my hands, and paid the price yourself—a brave move, but it felt like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Since then, you’ve kept refusing the Grand-Matron’s workings, and then turned down a solid tool against Bandesinge and blood magic, and yet you’re fine with the collegium’s spells and Ca’armine’s gifts. I’m not here to put you on trial—I’m here to get this team through the the trials we face in one piece. To do that, I need more than a yes-or-no list. I need your why. If there’s a line you won’t cross, show me where it runs and what it protects. Your compass matters.

Ca’armine takes blessings from the other human gods. I understand that map. Help me read yours.

So talk to me, Gus: why turn down help from allies? What do you trust, what don’t you, and how can I lead so your convictions make us stronger—not weaker?”

Alexis patiently waits for Gustav’s answer. There is no rush on his face or in his body.

Heard of Any Other Bells?

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The group has been traveling through the Westlands and they’ve started moving away from the coast heading back East. After camp has been set up Alexis sits next to Ca’armine. Alexis engages Ca’armine in polite discussions about the travels of the day and then turns the conversation to other things.

“Well, my taciturn friend, I’ve been meaning to ask you what rumors you might have heard regarding and of humanities lost artifacts. We have already found the mantle crafted, or re-crafted, with his power.”

Alexis looks at Ca’armine, waiting for a reply.

Getting Back to the Mission

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Red takes a moment to chat with Ca’armine as we travel through the Westlands.

“Ca’armine, I have gotten the sense you are increasingly unhappy with the direction the group has been going. We have been distracted from our shared goal: pursuing Bandesingh.

We know of many possible locations we could head to get information about Bandesingh, or encounter those working for him. We know he had forces in the Copper Hills Fort. We know he had forces near the Grayfax estate. I assume he would have forces watching the MiddleBar fort. He likely has forces near Fjællsby. Last time we were in the Twins he had forces there.

But most importantly we know he has at least a few people in Gahnil, which we are getting very close to.

We have very little information about Bandesingh. We know he works with many humans. We know he works with the ‘3 cheek’ Orcs. I would assume he works with ‘normal’ Orcs and other non humans.

But we need more information about him We do not even know what he looks like, Is he human? Can he cast magic?

We have focused so far just on ‘where’ he might be, but that doesn’t seem like the most important piece of information.

Do you know anything about Bandesingh? Is there anything specific you would like to learn?”

Not Just an Arm

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Ethelred on watch hears some of Rask’s utterances, seeming to be open to turning on the group.

A night later while Rask sleeps Ethelred chooses to awaken Alexis and Ca’armine. Taking great pains to make little noise. He signals them each individually to be quite and to move away from the group. The three move out of vocal range, but can still see the sleeping Rask (and Gustav).

Whispering and keeping a solid eye on Rask as he sleeps…

“Gentleman, I am worried about Rask. I have heard disturbing utterances from his own lips last night. He seems to be pondering, relishing?, attacking us.There is something not right with Rask.

If we are to pursue taking the fight to Bandesingh we must all be aligned. We do not know enough about Bandesingh. Bandesingh might be able to effect Rask in a way that would leave his even more vulnerable to the soul that seems trapped with in him.

I have racked my brain for things that I might be able to do to help free Rask, but the magics that posses him are beyond my understanding.

Do we need the skull that was involved in the ‘ritual’ that Rask performed to take the soul into this sword?

Car’armine might you have some healing, or turning that could help?

Alexis what light might your goddess shed onto this situation?

It would seem that combining the powers of Ave and Raiden might prove to be a challenging knowing some of the history of them. But maybe that is an option?”

Red looks between his companions, a clear expression of concern is upon him.

The Little Death that Brings Complete Obliteration

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Rask moans in in his sleep…

“No… not Gus…”

“…Ca’armine…”

Sad moans shift to flat mutterings…

“… exis… join the horde… sword…”

“… ‘thelred is the weakest…”

“Two swords… the only real threat…”

“.. ‘us… at a distance…”

And finally, grim determination.

“Break the bow… cut Red down… then the Priests…”

The Hobgoblin of Little Minds

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Rask approaches Alexis as the group prepares to follow the hobgoblins tracks into the grasslands.

“Boss, I’m not going to be able to use a sword, given what happened to Ca’armine this morning…”

Rask pauses, and looks apologetically at the priest, then the Ethelred and Gustav.

“I think Zrithak has… influence over my sword arm… I’m pretty sure he was one of the escaped chained creatures connected to that crypt in Sutheron, and somehow his soul is… more aware? stronger? than the others trapped in… my sword.”

“I’m concerned simply destroying the sword will free the all the souls trapped there, including Zrithak. My preference would be to force him out of my body and back into the sword somehow and eventually to turn the sword over to the Hoodites.”

“In the meantime, I’m afraid I need to fight with just my hands, and perhaps a bow.”